Ukraine Army’s main short-term task to hold ground, inflict max damage on invaders

That’s according to Roman Kostenko, Secretary of the Parliament’s National Security, Defense and Intelligence Committee, who spoke in an interview with Ukrinform.

"As for next year, I guess the war will be going on pretty much the same as it is this year, remaining positional with some elements of active developments. Therefore, it will be a year of mobilization and preparation. It would be a right thing to mobilize and prepare. Our task for the near term is not let the enemy advance and to inflict maximum losses on them, which will set up conditions for our own advance and liberation of territories," Kostenko noted.

To this end, Ukraine’s defense forces need long-range missiles to hit Russian HQs, warehouses, and supply routes at their operational rear.

"Of course, it would be great to have missiles that could reach Russian territory, their infrastructure and military facilities. I hope we will have such an opportunity," stressed Kostenko.

Ukraine also needs artillery rounds of various calibers for active combat operations, the secretary noted, adding that the Army’s current needs include equipment, ammunition, and artillery systems.

"We need a large number of drones of various types along with munitions, e-warfare systems, and surface-to-air missile systems to shoot down as many drones and missiles as possible," the committee secretary emphasized.

He stressed the need to explain to partners that the missiles now being downed over Ukraine by their weapons could one day target their cities if the supply of air defense capabilities halted. "They should realize that they are simply giving us resources so that they don't have to engage in a fight," noted Kostenko.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, Kostenko believes that Ukraine’s military campaign was rather successful in 2023 as the military killed in action hundreds of thousands of Russian invaders, destroyed a wide range of enemy military hardware, as well as forced the Russian navy capabilities out of the Black Sea area.